Viks wonderful weekend has one glaring blemish
Football uprooted in Montana amid blazing Big Sky starts from volleyball, soccer
Everything started right for the Viks this weekend.
The opening kickoff popped up perfectly and PSU fell on it to recover at the Montana 22-yard line. A few plays later, the Viks were in the end zone with a 7-0 lead on the No. 2 team in the country.
Montana would retake the lead, aided by a 78-yard punt return touchdown, but wasn’t pulling away. The Viks were keeping the game close, trailing just 17-14 after a Beau Kelly touchdown midway through the second quarter.
Then things turned sideways.
Montana scored a 64-yard touchdown on the next play from scrimmage, forced a safety on the next drive, and by the end of the half the Griz had scored 22 points in five minutes, burying the Viks in a 53-16 victory.
The extra preparation the team put into the Montana week showed early but mistakes in all three phases doomed any chances of an upset.
The Viks’ playoff chances also took a big blow, with the team now 0-3 and likely needing to win six of its remaining seven Big Sky games to earn a chance at an at-large bid.
The rest of the schedule doesn’t get any easier. There are games against No. 7 Sacramento State, No. 12 Weber State, No. 15 Eastern Washington and an Idaho team that looks like it could be ranked when official polls come out in a few days.
This team is still talented. Wins against any of those teams would keep the Viks in the mix until late in the season. But the margins for error are gone.
That starts this weekend with Portland State’s return to Hillsboro against a very good Northern Arizona team that has flirted with the top 25.
A loss could relegate this amazing group of seniors to another season of playing spoiler. A win could provide the Viks the boost they need to tackle the rest of the Big Sky and catapult this team to something special.
(Missoulian coverage) (Skyline Sports)
ACROSS THE BIG SKY
The most anticipated game of the weekend lived up to the hype.
Eastern Washington scored a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns to take a late lead against No. 4 Montana State, even securing an interception in the end zone with less than four minutes to play to set up a clock-killing drive.
The Eagles fumbled on the next play and MSU backup quarterback Sean Chambers, who took over in the first quarter for an injured Tommy Mellott, rumbled in from 13 yards out to edge a 38-35 win for the Bobcats.
(Bozeman Daily Chronicle) (406 Sports) (Skyline Sports) (The Spokesman-Review)
Elsewhere:
No. 7 Sacramento State 41, Colorado State 10
The Hornets didn’t just beat an FBS team, they demolished Colorado State, cashed $400,000 and continue to look like a legitimate national title contender. (Sacramento Bee)
No. 12 Weber State 17, UC Davis 12
Weber State didn’t have its best day, but the Wildcats scored early and held on tight despite a big day between the goal lines for the UCD offense. (Ogden Standard-Examiner) (Davis Enterprise) (Sacramento Bee)
Idaho 27, Northern Arizona 10
Idaho never trailed in a battle of teams on the outside of the FCS top 25, controlling nearly every aspect of the win. The Vandals have parlayed two near-FBS upsets into two dominant performances in FCS play and look like they could crash the playoffs in the first year under new head coach Jason Eck. (Moscow-Pullman Daily News) (Arizona Daily Sun)
Northern Colorado 35, Idaho State 14
UNC has won two straight games for the first time since 2018. Elijah Dotson had two touchdowns in the win, including an 82-yard punt return for a score. (Greeley Tribune) (Idaho State Journal)
AROUND THE BLOCKS
I predicted in a few Montana outlets last week that Portland State may win a close, low-scoring game against the Griz, pulling off an upset few experts predicted.
I was right, just in the wrong sport:
The PSU soccer team is on a tear, beating preseason No. 1 Northern Colorado and No. 2 Montana in the same weekend, holding the Big Sky favorites scoreless in the two matches. It’s the first time the Viks have started 2-0 in conference since 2013, when PSU lost in the Big Sky title game.
Not to be outdone, Portland State volleyball swept preseason favorite Weber State on Thursday and stayed perfect in conference play with a reverse sweep of Eastern Washington on Saturday.
Both teams sit at the top of the Big Sky standings and have a realistic shot at competing for the conference championship after getting an early advantage on what is expected to be the top of the league.
Volleyball will quickly get another challenge, playing at last season’s Big Sky tournament champion Northern Colorado on Thursday. Soccer will play Sac State on Sunday.
Cross country also returns on Saturday after an impressive performance against a stacked field last week.
Golf’s fall season continues today but a Vikings alumna made the biggest news this week, Krissy Carman winning the US Women’s Mid-Amateur championship.
Thanks for reading Big Sky Valhalla. We’ll be back with a weekend preview mid-week. Subscribe to the free newsletter for the latest.